New road bypass around Žiar nad Hronom opened

A NEW, almost 6-kilometre R2 expressway stretch has been opened for use in the area of Žiar nad Hronom in the Banská Bystrica region, the TASR newswire reported on December 15. The stretch, which forms a bypass around the town, is expected to divert traffic from the town centre and to make local transport smoother.

A NEW, almost 6-kilometre R2 expressway stretch has been opened for use in the area of Žiar nad Hronom in the Banská Bystrica region, the TASR newswire reported on December 15. The stretch, which forms a bypass around the town, is expected to divert traffic from the town centre and to make local transport smoother.

Among those attending the opening ceremony was Transport, Construction and Regional Development Minister Ján Počiatek, who stated that despite certain complications, including landslides, for example, the construction work was completed more or less according to schedule. It took two years to finish the stretch.

Počiatek went on to observe that construction work is taking place on 13 major road sections at the moment, with more than a record 140 kilometres to be built.

“The R2 road will go on towards Zvolen; [and further on] there are two sections under construction at present: Zvolen - Pstruša and Pstruša - Kriváň,” said Počiatek, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Prime Minister Robert Fico, who also came to witness the opening of the road, said that the bypass will help the region in a marked way and that it is set to boost road safety in the town itself. Echoing Počiatek, Fico stressed that it is quite unprecedented to have as many as 13 different road sections under construction at the same time.

“It’s becoming apparent that if we gradually add further sections of the R2 road, work is, for example, taking place on the bypass around Bánovce nad Bebravou (Trenčín region) - a strategic link between Trenčín and the R1 road will soon become a reality,” Fico said, as quoted by TASR.

The planned R2 road will begin at an intersection with the D1 motorway near Trenčín, go through the towns of Partizánske and Prievidza in Trenčín region, and Turčianske Teplice in the Žilina region, and then on to Žiar nad Hronom, where it should link up with the existing R1 expressway between Trnava and Banská Bystrica.

Sharing the route with the R1 between Žiar nad Hronom-Zvolen, the planned R2 expressway should then lead via the towns of Detva and Lučenec and further eastward through Rimavská Sobota in the Banská Bystrica region and Rožnava in the Košice region before ending in Košice city.

According to the construction contract, the building of the bypass should consume €26.1 million and be funded from EU Operational Programme Transport.

Source: TASR

Compiled by Roman Cuprik from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.

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